Love/Hate Relationships

‘Love’ and ‘Hate’ are four letter words.  Some would say that ‘Hate’ is one of the ugliest four letter words in our vocabulary.  There are numerous non-four letter words or phrases for expressing hate:

• dislike
• not a fan
• not fond of
• no love lost
• detest
• abhor
• despise
• cannot stand

One of my all-time favorites expressions was sounded off by Miss Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles:

I loathe the bus!

You can always count on classic cinematic moments to provide memorable dialogue or dynamic characters to capture your feelings in a clever way.

Actor Bill Nunn played Radio Raheem in Spike Lee’s 1989 Do The Right Thing.  He shares the story of right hand, left hand; the story of good and evil.  It would be nice to get that left hand on the ropes right about now and have it K.O.’d by love.  It would be nice to have the power of the right hand lift up the consciousness of the human race and ensure the right thing is done.  It would be nice, right?

Raindrops on Roses

…and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad

I am turning a page today and thinking of things that make me happy.

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Reid, Reid All About It!

Seventy-five.  It’s a milestone number.  Today I am celebrating my mother reaching that milestone.  On this day in 1937 my mom was born to Jacoba and Amaza Reid in Winton, North Carolina.  I adore these photos of her – she looks like a baby doll.

The oldest of three girls, she raised three of her own children and has now lived three quarters of a lifetime.  I guess three truly is a magic number.

Love Revisited

Remember Valentine’s Day in elementary school?  For me, it was an event.  My mom would take me to the drug store and I’d get to pick out the box of cards with the various cartoon characters on them.  I had to make sure I had enough for all my classmates and teachers.  Everyone would have a bag with his or her name on it and one by one you’d get to drop your little card in each bag.  No pressure.  The whole class would send and receive some love that day.  Everyone would go home feeling Cupid’s arrow.

As an adult the system for sending and receiving love may not be as organized and orchestrated as it was ‘back in the day.’  However it would be wonderful if the world could embrace how simple it is to say the three words we all want to hear.  Too much emphasis on whether or not you have romantic love in your life when this date rolls around on the calendar needs to cease.  Regardless if you have a main squeeze or you are sitting solo in that overstuffed loved seat, know that you are loved, worthy and appreciated.  Happy Love Day!  Now, let’s all sing along with Stevie.